


Shattered Perception

by elsmith



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25603678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsmith/pseuds/elsmith
Summary: AU post Season 2 Episode 8, "Rose." Thinking Elijah is dead after Damon staked him, the goal is to come up with a plan to stop Klaus and the sacrifice of the doppelgänger to break the Sun and Moon Curse. Not everyone is sure that Rose was telling Elena the truth about the ritual and her part in it. And just who is this Klaus, and the other so-called Originals, anyway? And what does any of it have to do with Damon?
Relationships: Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. Recognition

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little AU idea I've had bouncing around for a while. I hope you enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It turns out Elijah isn't as dead as Damon thought.

Damon stood sipping his bourbon in a corner of the boarding house’s sitting room, observing the chaotic arguments around him with annoyance and just a dash of amusement. The threat of Klaus and the ritual to break the Sun and Moon Curse – assuming Rose hadn’t been lying – was the current topic being beaten to death by Elena’s protectors. Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy were all bickering about whether they should believe what they’d been told about the curse and the Originals interested in the doppelganger, and what they should do about it if true. He was barely listening to it all because everyone was so…predictable. Stefan was trying to be optimistic while still clearly leaning towards believing Rose; Bonnie and Jeremy wanted to believe that the older vampire was lying or mistaken, and Caroline was trying to remain neutral and hopeful at the same time. Little Miss Sacrifice herself was determined not only to believe the worst, but to also make sure that she was the only one in the line of fire. All of this background noise buzzed in Damon’s ears as he contemplated his drink and let his mind wander to their earlier rescue of Elena from the Original called Elijah. 

Normally, gloating about being the one to take down one of the (supposedly) strongest vampires in the world would be on the top of his to-do list, but something about the interaction was bothering him. Damon had been hidden from sight until he was shoving the broken coat rack into Elijah’s heart, so he only saw him up close for a few seconds, but something in Elijah’s expression had been strange. The rage was expected, of course, but he seemed to recognize Damon. That was not expected, unless Damon was reading too much into the whole thing. He certainly had never met the older vampire before, but Elijah definitely looked like he knew exactly who was killing him. 

He tuned back into the conversation at the sound of his own name.

“We know they can be killed, though. Damon killed Elijah,” Stefan said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. 

Elena scowled and stomped her foot a little. Damon tried not to find it endearing. 

“For all we know that was pure luck. I won’t risk any of you getting hurt for some stupid plan to kill another Original that may not even end up working!” she insisted, her voice husky from all of the emotion swirling in the room. 

Now Damon was interested. “Okay, first: that was not luck, that was good planning and skill,” he said, sauntering over to his liquor cart as he drained the last of his drink. “Second,” he continued, holding up a finger as he poured a new one, “you’re not the one risking anything. I think we get to decide what’s worth it.”

Judgy and Stefan both nodded in agreement. “We want to protect you, Elena,” Bonnie said earnestly. “I know you want to protect us too, but we get to make that choice.”

It was obvious that everyone felt the same, and Elena sighed heavily. “I know, but I just can’t stand the thought of anyone else getting hurt because of me,” she said, defeat and exhaustion pulling her shoulders down. She had been through more than most people have to suffer in a lifetime, and Damon felt a twinge of pain as she dropped down onto one of the couches heavily. He hated seeing her look so worn down and hopeless. Elena was determined that she would save everyone at any cost, even her own life, but she never considered that everyone was willing to do the same for her. 

“Look, Elena, I get it,” Damon said, turning to send a penetrating look her way. “You feel responsible because you’re the one this Klaus guy is after, but none of this is your fault. And even if everyone wasn’t willing to sacrifice themselves for you, we’d still probably be collateral damage.”

Stefan gave him a pinched look at that. Okay, probably not the best phrasing, but the sentiment was true. 

“I don’t want to say that Damon’s right, but he kind of is,” Jeremy said. “We’re fighting for ourselves and each other.” That last comment was uttered so earnestly that Damon thought his eyes might pop out of their sockets with the force of his eye-roll. He was going to need the whole bottle to wash away this level of sappiness. 

“And that’s my limit on sappy declarations and sacrifices born of love,” he said, turning to take a step towards the stairs. The discussion was going nowhere and if it went on any longer he was going be testing a vampire’s ability to get tension headaches. 

He was halfway to the stairs when the front door burst open and a blur came rushing in his direction. Between the startling sound of the door slamming open and the split second of a blink, Damon was being held against the wall by his throat, staring down an enraged Elijah. He heard everyone gasp and shuffle, but no one made more movement than that. Good, they’re not complete idiots, he thought. 

“Didn’t I kill you?” Damon choked out. Elijah’s hand was like steel around his neck, and he was very glad he didn’t need to breathe. 

Elijah’s lip curled up in a snarl and he flexed his free hand, bringing it to hover over Damon’s heart. 

“Damon!” Elena gasped. “Please, don’t!” There had been a stillness to the room since Elijah appeared, but her voice seemed to shatter it. She took a step towards the two vampires before Stefan reached out to hold her back.

Staring down the Original a second time, this time on the other side of a life-or-death moment, Damon was sure he hadn’t imagined Elijah’s expression last time. The hatred was there, and it was a personal kind of hatred; a kind Damon was very familiar with. He thought, oddly, that the older vampire also seemed terribly sad.

Elijah took a steady breath and closed his eyes. He didn’t release his grip on Damon, but he tilted his head in Elena’s direction. “Damon? This is Damon Salvatore?” 

Elena’s throat clicked as she swallowed, nodding quickly. “Yes,” she rasped. “Please, we’re sorry about before, they just wanted to save me.”

He angled his body the smallest inch in the direction of the others. Damon didn’t dare move a muscle; he could feel how strong Elijah’s grip was. 

“And you, you’re Stefan Salvatore?” Elijah asked, although it really wasn’t a question. Stefan nodded.

His gaze returned to Damon, eyes scrutinizing his face. Damon swore he gave a little nod before asking, “And you’ve never seen me before?”

“Well, other than killing you yesterday,” Damon wheezed. And miracle of miracles, Elijah let his hand drop from Damon’s neck. He let his head drop back against the wall as he massaged his aching throat. “Uh, super sorry about that murdering you thing, by the way,” he added. 

Elijah took a step away from Damon, pursing his lips in a small frown. No one said anything, the tension in the room almost unbearable. Damon was prepared to break the silence when Judgy beat him to it.

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Why would Damon have seen you before?” Bless her arrogant, witchy heart, Damon thought. Let her be in the hot seat for once.

Elijah’s nostrils flared slightly as he turned to face the rest of the room instead of Damon, hands clasped stiffly behind his back. He took in each of them before responding, “Because he has the face of my brother, Niklaus.”

That saying about silence so absolute you can hear a pin drop didn't even begin to describe the stunned silence that descended in the Salvatore boarding house.


	2. No Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions are asked, answers are half-given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder for a stray thought at the end: this takes place after Damon snapped Jeremy's neck, and Elena definitely hasn't forgiven him yet.

Time slowed to a crawl after Elijah’s declaration. Damon’s chest clenched for a moment before he managed to put up his usual wall.

“Right, why not? Doppelgangers are the new ‘thing’, all the cool kids are doing it,” he scoffed derisively. His defenses were still raised, because he couldn’t deny how strong Elijah was now, but come on.

Unfortunately, the rest of the room’s occupants did not find it so ridiculous. Jeremy and Caroline had moved closer to Elena, and Bonnie was now eyeing him with suspicion. Well, nothing new there actually.

“Niklaus? You mean Klaus?” Bonnie asked. Leave it to the witch to ferret out the most distressing detail in Elijah’s statement.

“You’re Klaus’s brother?” Stefan added, looking especially uncomfortable.

It turns out vampires _can_ get tension headaches. Pretending that Elijah’s presence didn’t bother him at all, Damon picked up his dropped bottle of bourbon and made his way back to the cart. He was going to need way more alcohol for this.

He could feel their eyes following him as he filled a new glass, taking a swallow to fortify himself to continue this stupid conversation.

“Who cares? Look, sorry we tried to kill you. No hard feelings, right?” Damon could feel the glares, but he let them slide off his back like always. “Anyway, I’m glad we’ve cleared this up. I’m not your brother, we’ve never met, blah blah blah. You clearly know where the door is. Nice to meet you, glad we had this chat.” He gestures towards the door and cocks an eyebrow, indicating that Elijah should be on his way.

Instead of leaving like Damon desperately hoped he would, Elijah moved to an armchair and sat, taking a moment to straighten his cuffs. He definitely had the air of a man used to doing things in his own time on his own terms.

“You are not a doppelganger,” he said finally, meeting Damon’s eyes once more. The previous storm of emotions was muted but still present in his gaze, and Damon had to suppress a shudder. Showing weakness in front of this Original vampire was not a good idea.

“I do not have an explanation except to say that it is not possible for my brother to have a doppelganger in the way the Petrova line does,” Elijah continued.

“So, what are you saying?” Caroline timidly asked him. Becoming a vampire had done wonders for her confidence, but if Damon was no match for Elijah then she had even less of a chance.

That scrutinizing attention was back and Damon wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else. If he were human, his heart rate would be through the roof. Obvious reasons aside, he had a very bad feeling about the direction this evening was heading in.

“I am not sure, but I do know that you, Damon Salvatore, are identical to my brother.”

Really, really not what he wanted to hear. Damon tipped his glass to Elijah before downing it and pouring another.

“Damn it, Damon, can’t you take this seriously?” Stefan hissed. “At the very least, maybe he’ll be willing to tell us more about this curse.”

That hadn’t occurred to Damon, and although he was curious about the current threat to Elena’s life, something inside him _really_ wanted Elijah to be anywhere else. He took a deep breath to prepare himself to once again put Elena’s needs before his own.

“Fine,” he said, shooting a quick glare at Stefan. “Baby bro is right, we need info. You willing to help?” He couldn’t help arching a brow and smirking at the older vampire. Keeping the peace was one thing, foregoing his well-earned reputation as an asshole was another. It was clear that the others were willing to let Damon lead this show, anyway, since no one really had a chance if Elijah decided he wanted them all dead.

Elijah tilted his head in that bird-like way of his, contemplating his answer. Rose had insisted that Elijah was a man of his word, and that happened to be true. Damon couldn’t imagine thinking so carefully about every word that left his lips. Some people were no fun.

“I have my suspicions about your connection to Klaus,” he finally said, eyes shifting from Damon to Elena so quickly he wasn’t sure if he imagined it, “and the answer to that puzzle will greatly impact what I have to tell you about the curse.”

“What are your suspicions, then, and what can we do to find the answer?” Bonnie asked, butting back into the conversation. Damon knew the witch would do anything to protect Elena, which normally was a good thing, but he didn’t enjoy being the object of her ire. Those brain aneurysms hurt like a bitch. A huge part of him didn’t want to hear anything Elijah had to say. His bad feeling wasn’t going anywhere, and he also had the feeling that no matter what the answer was about why he supposedly looked like Klaus, he really wasn’t going to like it.

Bonnie’s question took Elijah’s focus off of Damon, finally. The uninterrupted eye contact was starting to make him edgy, and he was not known for making good decisions when he was pushed.  
“Either Niklaus found some way, magical or otherwise, to create progeny, or was placed under some sort of curse to believe he is Damon Salvatore,” Elijah intoned in that same emotionless drawl he had been speaking in since he burst into their home.

Damon couldn’t help it; he burst into incredulous laughter. “Oh, come on!” he chuckled. “I know weird shit is Mystic Falls’ specialty, but that’s just ridiculous. Either an undead guy engineered my birth over a century ago or I am him? Please.”

No one else was laughing. Damon looked at the stricken faces of the others and felt his stomach flip in a way it hadn’t since he was human. “You can’t seriously believe…” He trailed off as he realized yeah, they did believe the Original. “If it was some curse, it would have to affect everyone around me too because I was definitely a human before I met Katherine, and I grew up with Stefan.” Damon shot an annoyed look at his brother, who looked as taken-in by all this nonsense as everyone else. Stefan looked contemplative at that, nodding along. Damon had definitely been a _human_ child, and despite their age gap Stefan remembered his older brother growing up like any normal human would.

Elijah shrugged one shoulder, somehow still looking elegant and composed, the bastard. “As I said, I do not know for certain what has happened.” He leaned forward in his seat, intense focus now on Bonnie. “However, perhaps there is a way to discover the truth.”

Judgy’s jaw clenched and she nodded once in acknowledgement of Elijah’s hint. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said, turning to Damon with narrowed eyes.

“Excuse me, I don’t remember volunteering to be the subject of your witchy experiments,” he growled.

“Damon, please,” Elena said quietly from her spot on the couch. He was honestly surprised she stayed silent for so long; sitting quietly on the sidelines was not in her nature. His shoulders slumped against his will, already acknowledging his defeat in the face of her big brown eyes. Elena’s lip quirked into the ghost of a smile, and Damon began to think that there was hope for their friendship after all.

Taking a fortifying breath, Damon turned to face the witch, hoping that he hadn’t just signed his own death warrant.


	3. Knowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie does some magic and proves the old adage that ignorance is bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Latin came from Google Translate, so please put on your suspension of disbelief and forgive me.

Bonnie walked into Damon’s personal space, glancing over him before nodding to herself. “Give me your hand,” she said, holding her own out for him to grasp.

His lip curled involuntarily, not wanting anything to do with Elena’s self-righteous friend, let alone hold her hand. Still, he had agreed, so he reached out and took her proffered hand in his own. He remembered Elena mentioning once that Bonnie could sometimes see flashes of information or feelings when she touched people, but nothing felt different to him.

The witch frowned and squeezed his hand tighter before letting go. “Nothing,” she said, frustration lacing her voice. Damon knew she liked this about as much as he did, but what little sympathy he had for others in general was not meant for the likes of her.

She reached for his hand again and he let her take it. The sooner all of this idiocy was over the better. Bonnie’s eyes closed and she began muttering as she held him in a firm grip.

“Maiorum meum sanguinem, in me videre verum. Ostende mihi verum,” she intoned, her grip on him tightening again. This time he could feel the power behind her touch. “Secreta sua reserare -” Bonnie’s incantation cut off with a gasp as she arched her head backwards, eyes flying open. They were glowing, but Damon didn’t see; before the last syllable left her lips he was sucked into an oppressive darkness, no longer aware of the physical world around him.

_He is standing in a storehouse before five coffins, hand resting gently on the one in the center. He knows opening it will be a mistake, but he_ needs _to see her. Turning to nod at the witch standing quietly behind him, he steps away to give her space. She steps forward and raises her hands as she begins to incant a spell, and the coffin glows and rattles as it is engulfed in her magic. The lid slams open with one last burst of light, illuminating the woman inside with an ethereal glow. Light brown eyes slowly open and he smiles. “Mother….”_

_He is on his knees between two tall sycamores near one of the entrances to the cave. His arms are bound with magic and he is unable to move. Despite the certainty he’d had before releasing her, the betrayal still hurts more than anything. When Mother asked to return to this land he should have been more suspicious, but he was so happy to be with her again that he ignored any warning signs. “Mother, please,” he says, voice hardly above a whisper. Once, anger would be guiding his words, making them harsh and cruel. Today, though, all he feels is heartbreak. Mother ignores him and continues casting a spell of unknown intent. She does not have much time, he knows, because a town now occupies the acres surrounding the cave and forest. He has not been told what her goal is, but it doesn’t matter. He knows that she is trying to correct a mistake, and he can only hope that she does not wish for his death, despite everything. A stillness settles over them as she stops speaking, and he thinks maybe she has failed, until an icy chill begins to spread out from the center of his chest, traveling to his extremities and becomes fire instead. He opens his mouth to scream and –_

_He is eight years old and he is awake far past his bedtime. He_ wants _to sleep, really he does, but when he sleeps he has the nightmare. Mother and Father do not have time to worry about bad dreams because they are so busy with the baby, but maybe just this once they will listen to his fears. Every night when he dreams, he dreams of a little brother murdered. He had not wanted a baby brother, but now that he’s here he can’t help but be afraid -_

_He is twenty-four and he is terrified. Father had insisted that he do his duty as a gentleman, but he couldn’t do this. Nightmares had plagued him his whole life, but after enlisting they became worse. If asked, he wouldn’t have thought that possible. After witnessing his first death he woke up screaming every morning, and his superior was getting tired of telling him to man up and control himself. He was tired of hearing it. He had not been in the room when Mother passed, and now he wonders if that would have made them worse too. More than anything, he wants to return home. His brother was the only one who understood, the only person in the world who cared -_

_He is twenty-five and he has been shot (stabbed) by his father. Something he had been holding onto within himself shatters for the first (second) time, and he feels nothing as his life slips away. He had wanted to live forever with_ her _, but she is gone too (again) and he is ready to let go…_

Damon wakes up to the sound of screaming and it takes a moment to realize it is coming from himself. When Bonnie performed her spell they had both been standing, but he feels the hard floor under his back now as it arches in pain. Bonnie still has her feet under her but she has gone pale and sweat has dripped down her temples and forehead, plastering her hair against her face. Their eyes meet and he knows. The spell worked and everything he had seen and felt in the darkness was nothing but the absolute truth.

Everyone except Elijah had moved to stand closer to the pair during the spell, but as he shakily stands to his feet they all step back. His eyes seek out Elena, and if he didn’t already feel like his chest was being crushed in a vice her expression would send him to his knees. She knows something is wrong, that Bonnie succeeded in getting an answer, and she knows that it is not an answer anyone wanted. He flicks his gaze to Stefan, who has managed to match Bonnie’s pallor, before glancing quickly at the still unmoved Elijah. A breath that wants desperately to be a sob escapes him, and then he disappears through the still broken door before anyone can say a word.


	4. Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are not worth holding on to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a tense change from previous chapters. I didn't really intend this, but I'm on a roll and that's how it wanted to come out.

It has only been an hour when Elijah finds him. He had hoped for more time but wasn’t foolish enough to think he wouldn’t be found. It’s not like he was really trying to hide, anyway. He’s a little surprised that Elijah is the one who found him first, unless Stefan told him where to look. 

They are standing at the ruins of the Salvatore Estate. Elijah comes to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, barely sparing a glance at the debris of a once lovely home. “You know what I want,” he says flatly. 

Damon’s lips thin, although he’s not sure if he’s more angry or hurt. Honestly, he’s not actually sure if he’s feeling anything at all. Still, he turns to face the stoic vampire with what he hopes comes off as a smirk and not a grimace. Something flickers in Elijah’s face before he can get it under control, but it’s still too fast to decipher. With a sigh, Damon pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and holds it out for Elijah to take. In any other circumstance he would laugh at the utter disbelief that Elijah can’t hide this time, but he just wiggles his hand until the other takes the offering. 

“Just like that?” Elijah asks suspiciously. Damon nods. “Just like that. Tell them I’m sorry.”

Apparently he’s surprised Elijah enough that he can no longer keep his emotionless mask up, because he frowns as he studies Damon’s face. “I expected…I’m not sure, but not this.”

“I know,” Damon answers, turning back towards the remains of the mansion. “No tricks, I promise,” he adds, knowing that Elijah cannot take his peace offering at face value. 

“Why?” he asks, and actually manages to sound curious instead of accusatory. 

Damon shrugs and decides honesty is the best way to go. “Stefan forced me to turn,” he says, no inflection or emotion in his voice. He’s not looking at Elijah, but he can feel his shock anyway. He’s sure that’s not what Elijah expected him to say. 

“We thought Kat-” he stops himself and clears his throat to cover his stumble, “that Katherine was dead, burned in Fell’s Church. I only wanted to live forever if it was with her.” An ironic smile quirks up at that admission as he thinks of it now. “I wasn’t going to turn, after father shot us. Stefan forced me to drink and I’ve spent the last century and a half making him regret it. Things never change, apparently.”

Elijah is silent next to him, but after a pause he feels a hand on his shoulder. Before he can turn to look, though, Elijah has gone. 

The horrible dread that he had felt before is back, and he knows he has to go home.

* * *

No one has done anything about the door, although that doesn’t matter much in a house full of supernatural beings. He pauses in the foyer and listens to the hushed comments of everyone in the room. At some point during his absence the others have been joined by Ric, who is giving them an earful about doing something so dangerous without including him.   
In the empty space where he usually feels things so strongly there is a flicker of fear, and nausea tries to work up his throat, but he gets hold of it before the dam bursts. An emotional outburst right now would be dangerous for everyone.

He steps into the sitting room and watches dispassionately as everyone freezes and silence falls. 

“Damon -” Elena chokes out, stumbling up from her spot on the sofa next to Stefan, who reaches out lightning quick to stop her from moving towards him. He tries not to notice how devastated Stefan looks. 

Everyone except Ric looks terrified. Ric, his wonderfully depressed drinking buddy, is glaring at him for all he’s worth. 

“It’s true? What they told me?” he demands, crossing his arms and pinning Damon with a look he’s sure intimidates high schoolers. 

He really, really doesn’t want to answer. In fact, he wishes he were anywhere else, and that he didn’t give one single shit about these people. He wishes more than anything that he could undo this day and never know what Bonnie uncovered, but he knows he doesn’t live in that world. 

His nod is so small he’s not sure if the humans in the room could even see it, but the smell of fear in the room intensifies so much that they must have.

Elena lets out the smallest gasp before she lifts her chin and walks to him, shrugging Stefan’s hand off of her arm as she goes. Why did she have to be so stupidly brave? This little human girl had more bravery and goodness in her left pinky than a saint. Several aborted protests follow her, but she doesn’t stop until they’re inches apart. She’s so unpredictable in her desire to be strong and brave and he has no clue what she intends to do, even as she reaches into her pocket and places something in his hand.

It takes him a moment to force himself to break eye contact with her, and when he looks down at the object in his hand he is more furious than he thinks he’s ever been.

This girl, this stupid, stupid girl, has calmly put the moonstone right in his hand.


	5. The Dam Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Petrovas, amirite?

He wants to rage at her, but someone beats him to it.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Bonnie shrieks, staring at her best friend with an expression that conveys an impressive combination of anger and fear. Elena does not shy away from her actions, instead clenching her jaw in stubbornness.

“Elena!” Caroline gasps, almost at the same moment that Jeremy curses under his breath.

Elena has not moved away from him, either out of determination or the knowledge that she couldn’t get away if he wanted to stop her. He waits a moment to see if Bonnie has more to say, but she has fallen silent after her outburst. Good, now it’s his turn.

“Jesus, Elena,” he hisses, fist clenching around the opaque white stone. “I never thought I’d agree with Judgy, but what the hell are you thinking? Do you actually have a death wish?”

Fear flickers in her expression before melting back into a determined scowl. “No,” she says.

He waits.

“Care to elaborate?” he pushes, clenching his teeth against the urge to scream.

“No,” she repeats, stepping back to rejoin Stefan on the couch.

Damon shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath in an attempt to control his now very present emotions. Without a word he walks to the fireplace, feeling the tension as everyone watches. He holds his arm out over the grate, pausing for dramatic effect so everyone can see, and then he crushes the stone in his fist. Before Bonnie’s little spell, even with regular vampiric strength, he would not have been able to do this. He can now, and he watches with dark satisfaction as the moonstone turns to dust, tilting his hand so it floats down onto the charred logs. He makes a show of wiping his hands together as he turns to face them, nodding once before heading to the stairs.

A nice, long shower sounds like heaven.

He expected someone to stop him and demand answers before he could escape upstairs, but he was only half right. Once again, he’s interrupted before he has more than one hand on the bannister, but it’s not by one of the people behind him. This time his momentum is stopped by the sight of Katherine standing in the foyer, a smirk twisting her beautiful face.

“Leaving so soon, Damon? I just got here,” she purrs, and he recognizes her coy act in an instant.

Suddenly all of the reasons to hold back his anger ( _Elena, Elena, Elena_ ) disappear and he has her against the same wall Elijah pinned him to earlier before he is aware of deciding to do it.

“Did you know?” he growls in her face, too angry to care that she was still smirking at him like she held all the cards. No one else reacts, not that he expected anyone to jump to her defense.

“Aww, did someone make my second favorite Salvatore mad?” she pouts, not even trying to hide the cruel undertone. Unfortunately for her, this day has obliterated his patience.

“No more lies! Did. You. Know.” He isn’t yelling; his voice is barely above an angry whisper. The amusement disappears from her face as she twists them around so she’s the one slamming him into the wall.

“Come on, Damon, there’s no reason to take your anger out on me,” Katherine says, tilting her head coquettishly. “And never forget, older means stronger.”

“Katherine, don’t -” Stefan finally finds his voice, but it is far, far too late.

He has her back against the wall, one hand at her throat and the other over her heart, before she can process the change. “That’s what it was always about, isn’t it?” He asks, squeezing tight enough that she can’t get air for an answer. The rage is so hot that he is beginning to feel numb again. “You didn’t know for sure, but you couldn’t resist playing games, couldn’t resist _breaking_ me. ‘It was always Stefan,’” he mocks, pretending he doesn’t hear the hurt sound that Elena utters somewhere behind him. “You wanted revenge, you wanted to hurt me just because of my face.”

Some idea of the danger she’s in finally registers on Katherine’s face as she tries to break his grip. Thanks to Bonnie, she’d never have the upper hand against him again, although he’s sure that wasn’t something the witch intended to do. She tries to choke out a question but he tightens his grip.

“Well, _Katerina_ , your inability to care about anyone other than yourself has finally caught up to you again,” he says, and he hates that the fear in her eyes brings a spark of joy into the black hole where his heart used to be.

Her eyes are impossibly wide, pupils dilated in fear as she finds enough air to voice her worst nightmare.

“Klaus.”

He has just enough of a rein on himself to decide he doesn’t have to kill her immediately, so he loosens his grip on her to see if she’ll try to talk her way out of it.

“I-I didn’t know, I mean I wasn’t sure,” she chokes out in between gulps of air. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please…” To his disbelief, the bitch actually starts to cry, silent tears welling over to drip down her cheeks.

“How did you get out of the tomb?” Damon asks as he suddenly remembers where she’s currently supposed to be.

“A witch who works for me followed Elena when she came to bargain for the moonstone,” Katherine answers immediately. Mortal fear is a good motivator to talk. It’s nice to get straight answers out of her for once.

As the meaning behind that registers he turns to shoot a glare at Elena. “Of course she did.” Elena doesn’t look apologetic at all, but she does look concerned. Surely she didn’t care whether Katherine lived or died?

He sighs. He is much too tired to deal with this mess anymore. Compelling Katherine to never step foot within a hundred feet of him again crosses his mind for a second, but fear is probably good enough.

“Listen to me very carefully, Katherine, because this is the only chance you will ever get,” he says, finally dropping his hand completely. “I never want to see you again. You will leave Stefan, Elena, and Mystic Falls alone forever, and you will stay far, far away from me. Leave.”

Katherine is gone before he even finishes.

It feels like a dark weight has lifted from his shoulders, but he still can’t make sense of the tumult inside him as he stares after her.

“You let her live.” Stefan must have come up behind him at some point, proving that he is even more exhausted than he thought.

“Yeah, guess I did,” he says, turning to look at his – something cracks inside again as he wonders if Stefan really counts as his brother anymore. It must show in his face because Stefan reaches out like he might touch him.

“Can we talk?” he asks softly, glancing back at everyone else before bringing his eyes back to Damon.

He wants to say no, but he turns and heads to the same chair Elijah sat in earlier that day. Stefan returns to the couch and Alaric finally sits back down as well.

“Why did you-”

“How did this-”

“What’s going to-”

“Are you okay?”

Everyone tries to ask their burning questions at the same time, but Elena’s question stuns them into silence, even him.

“Damon?” she prompts when he fails to answer.

To his utter horror his eyes begin to burn, and he tries to blink them into submission. “Elena…” He sounds like a dying man who has seen the last thing in the world that might save him. One tear escapes and trails down his face and he lowers his chin to his chest, only to jerk back up moments later when Elena wraps her arms around him in a gentle hug.

His head is resting in the crook of her shoulder. This girl will never stop surprising him, he thinks, so of course she has to do it again as she begins stroking his hair. His proximity to her throat must be terrifying the others, but he can’t care. A distant part of him is mad that she’s still this reckless, but mostly he’s glad that she has the ability to be kind to creatures that don’t deserve it.


	6. Reassurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Damon to answer some questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't stop writing, so here you go. I'm not sure if I'll end it here or not, so I'll keep the chapter count a question for now.

After more time passes than he deserves, Elena finally pulls back and gives him a tremulous smile. He tries to return it but knows it probably looks painful.

“Thank you,” he whispers as she moves back to her seat.

The liquor cart looks very inviting, but he wants this over with as soon as possible.

“Are you going to kill us?” Caroline blurts out.

Despite himself, Damon barks out a surprised laugh. “Not today, Barbie.”

He thinks that it might be too soon to joke (if it would ever be okay at all), but thankfully Alaric cracks a small smile. “Not funny, man,” he says weakly.

Damon manages a smirk. “Sorry. No, Caroline, I don’t want any of you dead.”

The relief in the room is palpable, which is something he thought was literary bullshit.

“Good,” Caroline says with a firm nod and stern look, as if she really had any say in the matter.

“But it’s true, though,” Bonnie states, looking nearly as tired as he feels. “Elijah was right. You’re Klaus.”

Hey, there’s that tension headache again. His eyes slip shut against his will, feeling heavier than anything ever has before. He forces them back open. “Yes.”

It’s like some kind of invisible wall has finally been shattered, and some of the tension in the room actually dissipates. They’re sure to have a thousand more questions, so he decides to get as much out of the way as quickly as possible.

“I don’t know if you saw what I did during your spell, Witchy, but yes. I did something very stupid even when I knew I’d regret it, and boy was I right.” He stops to think for a second, then amends, “Well, some of it I regret. Some of this is going to be a really long story, but the gist is a very powerful witch wanted me gone even though she couldn’t bear to see me dead, so after some serious spellwork, poof! The Salvatores get a brand-new human baby. Or at least that’s what I assume happened.”

Their confused faces were sort of hilarious. “Before you ask, I have no idea how she did it. I was definitely human, though, and everything after that was real,” he says, making brief eye contact with Stefan. He hoped that the tentative relationship they had been rebuilding wasn’t utterly destroyed. Stefan seemed relieved, so maybe it wasn’t too late.

“And then Katherine…” Stefan added.

“And then Katherine.” Damn her. “I’m surprised she didn’t turn tail and run the second she met me, but here we are.” Really, he couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t run. If she had just left him alone he probably would have died as a human. It wouldn’t have taken much.

“Uh, speaking of doppelgangers, what’s up with that sacrifice stuff?” Jeremey asked. Damon almost forgot the kid was there. How was he supposed to answer this? There were more things in his past that were bad than good, but lying about it wouldn’t help.

Might as well jump right in. “The sun and moon curse is a lie.”

Everyone has something to say to that, but he’s only focused on Elena’s reaction. She’s gone a little pale but doesn’t say anything, so he continues. “Elijah and I came up with it to hide the real reason the sacrifice was…” he doesn’t want to say necessary, because he’s at a point in his life where he can absolutely say it isn’t, but that wasn’t always the case. “There’s a curse, but it’s just on me. It has nothing to do with vampires and werewolves in general.”

“So sacrificing the doppelganger is something completely selfish,” Bonnie snarls.

Damon makes himself look away from Elena to meet the Bennett witch’s glare. “Yes.”

“Then why did you destroy the moonstone?” Elena asks so quietly he’s not sure he would have heard her without vampire hearing. Of course she’s asked the one question he can’t answer completely truthfully. He’ll just have to do his best.

“The witch who cursed me – twice? No, three times now, I guess – finally made the lesson stick. All it took was getting to live another human life.” God, this was draining. He had to do it, though. Had to make them understand that he means it when he says he won’t hurt them. “My life as Damon was real. It _is_ real, and just because I remember the rest now doesn’t mean I’m not still Damon too. So. That changes things.”

He hears a sniffle and he really hopes it isn’t Stefan, because his level of exhaustion is teetering at the edge of bearable and any more emotions will knock him on his ass.

“The same witch cursed you three times?” Ric asks, with just the perfect amount of incredulity and amusement. “Yeah, you’re definitely still Damon. Only you could be that annoying.”

He laughs genuinely in what feels like the first time in years. “It gets better. That witch is my mother.”

Stunned silence, then even Jeremy is trying to stop from snickering.

“Like I said, long story, but the curse the ritual is meant to break just…doesn’t matter anymore.” And he feels so…unburdened...to realize that it’s completely true. For some reason this revelation makes him even more tired, and he is beyond ready to drop into his bed for the next decade. “That’s all the really important stuff. I need to go crash.” He starts to stand up but apparently Bonnie has other ideas.

“What happened earlier with my spell?”

Damon shrugs. “I remembered.”

“And that’s it?”

“I think you already know, Judgy.”

Bonnie turns to the others. “I didn’t mean to do it, but when I opened the door on his memories it undid the spell he was under, and once it started I couldn’t make it stop.”

“What do you mean, Bonnie?” Elena asks.

Bonnie purses her lips. “Undoing the spell while _Klaus_ is a vampire reverted his power level to what it was before,” she answers sourly.

Damon rolls his eyes at her attempt to hurt his feelings or whatever that was. “Yeah, thanks. I’ve been wanting to kick Katerina’s ass since she showed up in town.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!”

Elena puts her hand on Bonnie’s arm. “We believe you, Bonnie, but can’t this wait?”

“Don’t you get it, Elena?” Bonnie sniffs as she starts to cry. “He’s unstoppable now, just like Elijah. I don’t know if I could protect you.”

He knows he should be offended, except what else would he expect the witch to say? Anyway, _he_ knew he wasn’t going to kill Elena.

Elena bites her lip. “Damon said he isn’t going to hurt any of us, and I believe him.”

Bonnie shrugs her off and stands. “Fine, ignore the danger like always, Elena, but you’ll see. Even if he _was_ Damon, he’d still be dangerous. I’m going home.” She storms out, and Damon’s sure she’s pissed that she can’t slam the still broken door.

“I have a lot to be sorry for, Elena,” he says, “but I promise you don’t have to live in fear anymore, especially not because of me.” His eyes bore into hers and he sees that she really does believe him.

For the first time in a long time, he feels hope.


	7. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even a week, Fate? Really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess there's more after all.

It had been less than a week since Damon’s world had shifted out from underneath him. Things in Mystic Falls were still a little tense, but he was going to count that as a win considering how much worse it could be. He hadn’t seen Bonnie around, which was nice, but Elena and Caroline had popped by the boarding house a few times. Stefan wasn’t exactly avoiding him, but they hadn’t really talked either. Ric was doing his best to act like everything was fine, which would normally piss Damon off. This time he really appreciated it, and appreciated Ric’s willingness to sit with him at the Grill’s bar and drink.

They were on day five post-revelation, and while the last four had been bearable something felt off today. Damon, as himself and Klaus, had always been pessimistic, but he was trying valiantly to push down his bad feeling.

It was mid-afternoon and Damon was gamely listening to Ric drunkenly wax poetic about Jenna when he felt a tingling on the back of his neck. Someone was watching them.

He tried to subtly look around, but he couldn’t see anything or anyone that didn’t belong. Once again proving why they were best frenemies, Ric noticed his change in demeanor immediately.

“Something wrong?” he asked casually, eyes flicking around the Grill as well.

“Nah,” Damon shook his head. “I thought I sensed something, but everything looks fine.”

Damon wasn’t sure, though, because that feeling had intensified into something like dread. He wasn’t clairvoyant or anything witchy like that, buy his enhanced vampire senses were telling him that _something_ was off.

Before he had the chance to add anything someone sat on the stool to his right, and he knew instantly why he’d felt so unsettled.

It was his mother.

He had no idea where she’d been or what she might have been doing in the nearly two centuries since he’d seen her, but after their last encounter he didn’t feel much like catching up. Several different plans on how to deal with her ran through his mind, but before he had a chance to decide she turned to him and smiled.

“Hello, young man,” she said. Her friendly smile had him frozen in his chair wondering what she was playing at when it hit him – she must not know that he remembered.

Clearing his throat so his voice wouldn’t break, he gave her a tight smile back.

“Hi.”

“Do you live here in Mystic Falls?” she asked, apparently determined to make small talk.

“Yeah, at the Salvatore Boarding House,” he answered. Maybe telling her where he lived wasn’t the best idea, but it’s not like she couldn’t easily find out on her own in a town like this.

Ric was clearly listening to their conversation. It wasn’t unusual for women to approach Damon and flirt, but Esther wasn’t flirting and they were both still on alert.

“Oh! You must be Damon Salvatore then!” she exclaimed.

Okay, he was so confused. Normally his mother was much better at lying, or at least not looking so suspicious, but she barely seemed to be making an effort here.

He turned on his stool to face her fully. “Yep, that’s me. And who might you be?”

“My name is Esther, dear,” she answered, benevolent smile still present.

Damon really didn’t know what to do here. She couldn’t be trusted, obviously, but he didn’t really want to hurt her or cause a scene. If only he knew why she was in Mystic Falls. 

And then, because he was destiny’s bitch, the Grill’s door swung open and two of his siblings walked through and caught his eye over Esther’s head.

He tried to gauge their moods as they made their way over. Elijah was as hard to read as always, but Rebekah did not look happy. It’s not like he was expecting hugs or anything, but he liked drinking at the Grill and compelling people to forget witnessing super-powered fights was tedious. He was ignoring the mixed feelings at seeing his sister again.

Elijah merely nodded in greeting but Rebekah crossed her arms and glared.

“Nik,” she bit out.

Esther turned to face her daughter. “Sweetheart, this is Damon Salvatore,” she gestured.

He really wanted to laugh at Rebekah’s expression but he was too confused with whatever the hell was going on.

“Mother, if you had waited for us like I asked I would have been able to catch you up,” Elijah interjected.

“Oh, I get it,” Damon’s eyes lit up in understanding. “You crawled out of whatever hellhole you were in and came straight here before checking in with the others. Couldn’t wait to see me again, huh?” He took a sip of his drink to hide his smirk.

Esther’s smile dropped as surprise took over. “What-”

“It’s okay, mother, I missed you too. Oh wait, no I didn’t, because you cursed me again and I forgot you existed.” Okay, yes, he was still angry about that a little.

He could hear Ric choke on his drink behind him, spluttering out “Mother?!”

Spinning in Ric’s direction, he gestured behind him to his family. “Sorry, I’m being rude. Alaric, please meet Esther, my mother, Elijah, and Rebekah. They’re two of my siblings. Family, this is my buddy Alaric.”

“Oh jeez,” Ric muttered, taking a deep breath through his nose. “More of you.”

“No need to worry, Elijah is nothing like me. Rebekah has a temper, though.”

“You remember,” Esther breathed as her eyes searched his face for something.

“Sure do.” Damon downed the rest of his drink and stood.

Her hand moved towards him but stopped when she registered his forbidding expression. Damon may be grateful that he got to be, well, _Damon_ , but that doesn’t mean he’s forgiving her anytime soon.

Rebekah and Elijah had moved to block his exit during the exchange with Esther.

“May we go somewhere to talk?” Elijah asked in that infuriatingly diplomatic way of his.

He _so_ wanted to say no, but at least if they went to the boarding house no one else would be around.

“Fine. You know where to go.”

Elijah nodded and gestured for Esther and Rebekah to follow him out.

“Well that’s just great,” Damon griped, turning to pout at Ric. “And here I was hoping things would go my way for once.”

“Need backup?” Ric said simply. 

“No thanks, the less squishy humans around this reunion the better,” he said, although he did appreciate the sentiment more than he would willingly admit. “Maybe just give Elena and Stefan a heads up for me.”

He caught Ric’s confirmation as he made his way out of the Grill at a human pace, not in any hurry to have the confrontation waiting for him at home. Was a bit of peace really too much to hope for?


	8. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the Boarding House

They beat him to the Boarding House, of course. Rebekah and Mother had made themselves comfortable in the sitting room, but the ever courteous Elijah remained standing. Esther stood as he entered, mouth opening silently as words struggled to come. Rebekah did not have this problem.

“Nik,” she said, making no attempt to conceal the contempt in her voice.

Damon couldn’t blame her, though. She’d been daggered and sealed in a coffin for about a decade longer than he’d been a vampire in this second life. Living, dying, and living again as Damon Salvatore had taught him many things, including true remorse. Barring his soap opera life with Stefan, the thing he regretted most in his many years was what he had done to his siblings. Still, he had a reputation to maintain.

“Rebekah, you’re looking…modern,” he snarked, taking in her mini-dress and heels. He never thought they had a family resemblance, except for when she was angry. That hadn’t changed, at least.

Ignoring his mother still, Damon nodded at Elijah. “You wanted to talk?”

The potential threat of centuries of alcoholism was not something Katherine had warned him about – add it to his list of reasons to hate the bitch – but Damon couldn’t help wandering over to his minibar and pouring a glass, despite his hours already spent at the Grill. He knew this conversation was going to require liquid assistance.

“They are all awake,” Elijah answered. Straightforward as ever, apparently.

Damon quirked a brow. “Yeah, I figured. Where did you find _her_?” He jerked his head toward their mother. Okay, he was still mad and feeling a bit petty, sue him.

The corner of Elijah’s eye twitched but he managed to show no other reaction. Rebekah smirked, though.

Unfortunately, Esther finally found her voice. “Niklaus, I only wanted to help you,” she said, eyes begging him to understand. The ancient witch took a timid step forward, but Damon hardened his expression and shook his head.

“I don’t know if it worked, whatever you were trying to accomplish,” he bit out, “but I am not the same. And you don’t get to drop by and play mommy dearest whenever it suits you.” He turned back to his brother. “Whatever you want from me here, get to the point.”

Inhaling sharply through his nose, Elijah titled his head and gazed at Damon. “ _My_ intention was simply to inform you that our siblings are now free. Do with that information what you will.” His emphasis did not escape Damon’s notice. It seems his brother did not know what their mother was up to. Not good.

An unladylike snort sounded from Rebekah’s direction as she crossed her arms. “Well I came so I could call you an arse to your face.”

She stomped over to him and slugged him hard in the gut. “You arse,” she said. When he had his wind back and could stand upright Rebekah reached for him again. He figured one sucker punch wasn’t enough, but to his surprise she wrapped her arms around him instead. After a moment’s hesitation, Damon returned the hug.

“I’m sorry.”

She pulled back to study him. “You _have_ changed,” she observed. “I can’t remember the last time I heard you apologize.”

He smirked at that. “Some things are the same. Don’t get used to it.” Rebekah returned his smirk and he knew he was mostly forgiven.

Esther was watching her children with a jumbled expression of pain and pride. Damon knew if Rebekah could forgive him, and Stefan too (who was at least on the way to forgiveness), then he should be able to forgive Mother. Hell, he even admitted to being grateful for the experience of being Damon Salvatore. He had learned from it and it _had_ changed him, maybe more than he wanted Rebekah and the others to think. Still, what she had done to him hurt.

“As fun as this impromptu reunion has been, I have-” Damon’s attempt to get his family to scram was interrupted by the front door and an angry rant.

“- I get that she’s concerned, but I can’t take anymore of her-her- _judgy_ glares!” Elena practically shouted, gesturing wildly at Stefan. He was doing the smart thing and merely nodded in agreement as she kept muttering angrily about Bonnie. Apparently the Bennett witch was still on her “Damon-Klaus is Evil Incarnate” kick. Not like that was anything new.

Elena’s rant finally faltered as she noticed the group gathered in the sitting room. “Oh, um. Hi,” she said awkwardly, giving a feeble wave to the room. Damn her for being so adorable. Also, damn her for managing to barge in and meet the _last_ people he wanted her in the same room with.

“The doppelganger,” Esther whispered, shooting a horrified glance at Damon. He tried to pretend that didn’t hurt. Rebekah didn’t look surprised, though, which meant that Elijah had at least filled her in on some recent events.

“Yep, Elena, that’s me,” Elena confirmed, tossing a confused look at Damon. His lips pressed together as he motioned toward his mother. “Mother, this is Elena Gilbert. Elena, my mother Esther. Next to Elijah is our sister, Rebekah.”

Elena’s eyes grew wide as she absorbed this new bombshell while Stefan got that constipated look he had when he was displeased.

“Nice to meet you,” Elena said, voice ticking up too much at the end and sounding more like a question. It took monumental effort not to laugh at that, but Damon managed.

“Well it’s been nice, but they were just going,” he said, giving Elijah a pointed look. Before his brother could step in, though, Esther’s shock and fear transformed into a stubborn look eerily similar to Damon’s.

“You’re still planning to do it,” she accused, nostrils flaring in anger. “You have learned nothing.”

Really, he shouldn’t be surprised. His mother had already proven that she had no faith in him, and Damon really thought he couldn’t be any more betrayed or hurt by this woman than he already was. The accusation tore through him like a volley of wooden stakes and he didn’t manage to completely stop the pained nose from escaping him.

Stefan came up and put a hand on Damon’s shoulder. His disappointed frown, which was usually reserved for Damon, was instead aimed at the older woman.

“If you’re referring to the sacrifice, that won’t happen,” Stefan said. Damon had to admit, seeing that judgmental ire aimed at his mother was entertaining.

“I don’t know who you are, young man,” Esther sneered, “but I know my son, and this girl is in danger.”

Damon felt frozen. He had known, deep down, that her opinion of him was low. Hearing the confirmation was more than he could handle, it seemed. He was burning up inside and he didn’t know which side of the “Damon’s emotional breakdown” scale this one was going to land on. While he was paralyzed from the emotional storm brewing inside, Elena’s anger burned pure enough to spur quick action. To Damon it seemed like she had the speed of a vampire as she marched up to Esther and slapped her across the face.


	9. Protector

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elena tells Esther what's what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy with this bit, but I needed to add it anyway.

“How dare you!” Elena seethed. “You don’t know the first thing about Damon, and from what I’ve heard that’s your own fault! You can’t just show up in our town and assume you know everything. I happen to know I’m perfectly safe with Damon, no matter what you might think!” Her anger had apparently built to another overflow as her arm arched back for another hit at Esther, but Damon snapped out of his hurt shock and surged forward to gently grab her hand.

“Elena,” he said quietly. “I appreciate you coming to my rescue, but that’s enough.” She turned her fiery gaze on him, but whatever she saw in his face was enough to douse her anger. He felt a little squeeze of his hand and then she was walking to stand next to Stefan again.

Damon took a deep breath, hoping to calm his churning emotions. It didn’t really work. He turned his sharp gaze on his mother. Rebekah and Elijah were standing off to the side, tense but not interfering in the dramatics.

“I don’t know what you expected when you came to Mystic Falls,” he began, voice clipped, “but you need to leave now. And Mother? I better not see you again for a very, very long time.”

Esther’s eyes were large in her pale, stricken face; a bright red mark was now visible where Elena’s palm had struck her. “Niklaus, I-”

He made a sharp gesture in her direction. “I am trying to…I am trying, but you have insulted my brother and accused me without knowing anything about me.” He could see that she wanted to object, but he was done playing nice. “Elena’s right, you don’t know me anymore. I have lived another lifetime as someone else, and you don’t get to come into my home and tell me that I’m the bad guy. Goodbye, mother.”

As he walked towards the stairs he paused to put a hand on Elijah and Rebekah’s shoulders in farewell before catching Stefan and Elena’s gazes and jerking his head for them to follow.

Once they’re in Damon’s room he puts his finger to his lips – there’s no chance Elena wasn’t bursting to say something – so that he can focus on the conversation downstairs. He knows Stefan is listening, too.

_“Mother, that was uncalled for,” Elijah scolded._

_“I only mean to protect the girl,” Esther protested. Rebekah laughed scornfully._

_“You have never cared for any girl wearing that face, mother, and if you say you do you’re a liar.”_

_“Rebekah, don’t speak to me that way!” Esther reprimands. “In any case, I can see that I was right to worry. Niklaus has learned nothing.”_

_Footsteps. “It would be wise for you to heed Klaus’s warning, Mother,” Elijah said. “And for what it’s worth, he_ is _different. Elena is not in danger. Not from him.”_

_“And I, for one, do not intend to make him angry with me,” Rebekah added. “Mother, let’s just go. Don’t you want to see the others?”_

Esther must have agreed because the two Salvatores could hear more steps and then the closing of the front door.

“They’re gone,” Stefan told Elena. She let out a breath and glanced at Damon.

“I’m sorry,” she said. He quirked a brow and felt the corner of his mouth lift.

“For what?”

“I basically just bitch-slapped your mother,” she answered embarrassedly. Damon had to laugh at that.

“Elena, that’s the best thing that’s happened to me all week,” he said. Elena’s lips quivered for a moment, and then she was laughing too. Even Stefan couldn’t resist a few chuckles.

Esther’s visit had been really unpleasant for Damon, but also eye-opening. He knew now that she would always believe the worst of him, and in the past that might have been justified. Even in his life as Damon. Still, he thought he might be on the right path for once, and for her to not see it…it hurt. Looking at Elena and Stefan giggling with him over Elena’s badass moment, though, he had hope.


End file.
